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Administrative Officer

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The Administrative Officer of Mental Health Nursing Service (MHNS) is responsible for administrative management work primarily concerned with providing, securing and negotiating for the resources or services needed to manage and support the inpatient and outpatient units under the Chief Nurse of Mental Health within the health system.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply by 06/26/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 26, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$61,722 - $97,087 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Promotion potential
11
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CBSU-12990755-26-MG
Control number
873716100

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Duties

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Duties may include but are are not limited to:

  • The AO serves to validate DSS/VSSC data monthly for MH Inpatient nursing.
  • Prepares regular reports through the management information system, such as Extended Leave Reports, Sick Leave Certification Reports, and Workman's Compensation Reports and contribute to Monthly, Quarterly and Annual Reporting requirements as needed to support quality, fiscal and human resource accountability.
  • Timekeeping procedures both manual and electronic and pay regulations governing both Title 5 and Title 38.
  • Identify, analyze and resolve time keeping problems which arise frequently due to the volume of employees, and the complexity of a wide variety of time schedules and special pay issues.
  • Provides and assists in the overall administrative management for the organization.
  • Applies new policies, provides advice on requirements, maintains administrative systems, and prepares administrative paperwork.
  • Performs quality assurance work that involves systematic prevention of errors, nonconformance to regulations and standards, identification of unsatisfactory trends and conditions, and correction of factors that may contribute to process failures.
  • Performs quality management activities, which are designed to improve quality of patient care, customer service activities or other business procedures.
  • Monitors quality program implementation and indicators designed to deliver highly reliable patient care and to verify adherence to quality plans and requirements.
  • Coordinates special projects as needed to support patient care outreach, building coalitions in the community and in support of nursing recruitment and retention.
  • Presents the needs of the service in organization-wide meetings as needed and provides follow up to ensure those needs are met.
  • Represents the Chiefs of Nursing at various administrative committee meetings (i.e., Space, Equipment, Safety, etc.). Incumbent is responsible for adherence to all provisions for the Equal Opportunity Program in accordance with OPM and VA regulations and established Medical Center guidelines.
  • Provide support to the Safety Program for the nursing staff.
  • Participates with managers in reviewing office needs, plans, and goals to develop budget data and justification for review and approval.
  • Prepares budget package for submission to the budget office and responds to all questions from that office. After budget has been approved, directs execution.
  • Monitors balances, and status of projects, and recommends reprogramming of funds as needed.
  • Reconciles and administers the Mental Health Chief Nurses EIL accounts including annual inventory or equipment.
  • Coordinates and communicates patient equipment needs in conjunction with unit EIL and promptly reports excess equipment to Logistics Service and initiates requirements for maintenance of equipment and facilities using the automated work order system.
  • Submits emergency equipment requests through the same process as required to ensure patient and staff safety.
  • Manages contracting and procurement for small procurements that require varying approaches.
  • Prepares and reviews purchase order for supplies and non-expendable property such as equipment.
  • Conducts periodic surveys of equipment and property utilization and recommends action as necessary to assure that economical and efficient use is made of equipment and other property, and other specialized equipment necessary to the effective functioning of MHNS.
  • Meets the needs of customers while supporting VA missions.
  • Consistently communicates and treats customers (veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.
  • Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately.
  • Works toward resolution of problems between Mental Health Inpatient and Outpatient nursing staff and other services within the Medical Center.
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm
Position Description/PD#: Administrative Officer/PD135580

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • Physical Requirements: The work requires walking, climbing stairs, bending, reaching, pushing and pulling. Requires keyboarding and keen visual acuity. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee -Official Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting your current position or most recently held position, tenure, type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive), grade level and duty location. For current Federal employees, the SF-50 must be effective the first pay period of the current year or later.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/26/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09.The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

  • GS-9 Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of experience would typically include, but are not limited to: skill in applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to issues or functions related to office administration, knowledge of pertinent laws, regulations, policies and precedents which affect administrative operations, a knowledge of the major issues, program goals and objectives, work processes, and administrative operations of the organization; a knowledge and skill in adapting analytical techniques and evaluation criteria to the measurement and improvement of program effectiveness and/or organizational productivity; skill in conducting detailed analyses of complex functions and work processes; and interpersonal skills in presenting staffing recommendations and negotiating solutions to disputed recommendations. Note: This position will serve in a developmental assignment to provide the individual with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the full range of duties as described in the target position description OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B. or J.D. in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements.
  • GS-11 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Specialized knowledge of basic health care management principles and practices and the knowledge is directed toward achieving effective and efficient administrative service operations. Knowledge of and skill in applying special budgetary principles and practices peculiar to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and particularly MHNS. Detailed knowledge of the structures of appropriation accounts, object classes, and line items of the program and administrative budget to identify and cross check the agreement, accuracy, and completeness of budget estimates. Knowledge of analytical, evaluative, developmental, or advisory work performed in a health care delivery system, knowledge of general administrative support. Work requires knowledge of relationships with other programs and key administrative support functions. Requires skill to plan, organize, and to negotiate effectively with management to accept and implement recommendations. OR
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M., in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 2 1/2 years of creditable graduate level education and have 9 months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Teamwork


Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

Agency contact information

VISN 19 HR Contact Center
Phone
719-227-4600
Email
V19USAJOBS@VA.GOV
Address
VA Salt Lake City Health Care System
500 Foothill Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84148
US

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